Serial thief who befriended women goes on the run

A serial thief who befriended young women and pretended to be a security guard before stealing from their homes has gone on the run, police revealed today.

Alex McEvoy, aged 26, stole cash and jewellery from two women in Wednesfield and Bloxwich after getting to know them over several months.

He admitted one and was found guilty in his absence for the other - and has so far managed to avoid capture, senior officers said today.

Police said he has links across the Black Country and Staffordshire, and urged people to be on their guard and report to them if they see him.

Det Con Jo Myatt-Jones, from Walsall police station, said: “The courts have found that man chooses his victims based on their vulnerability and ingratiates himself with them and their family. He becomes involved in their lives, gaining their trust and then uses this to his advantage by betraying them and stealing from them.

“He has used many guises to meet women including pretending to be a security guard.

McEvoy, of no fixed address, struck at a home in Stoney Lane, Bloxwich, on January 7 this year. He had befriended a 23-year-old woman over a period of time - but repaid her kindness by stealing her debit card and cash.

He pleaded guilty at a hearing at Walsall Magistrates Court on June 21, and was bailed to appear for sentencing on August 8.

In the meantime, he was charged with another similar theft from a home in Mill Lane, Wednesfield. He never attended the hearing on August 8 and was found guilty in his absence. A warrant was issued for his arrest but officers have so far not had any luck tracking him down.